If you have a conflict, you can run git show to see the latest commit being applied.
Then, when you open the conflict file, the conflict shows in one hand the state of the file at the last commit applied, and on the other hand, the state of the file in the currently applied commit.
Example:
I created a repo with the file "a". My first commit was to create a file:
John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master
Then I changed the file and committed it as "commit1":
John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master) β > echo aaa >a John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master *) β > git add a John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master +) β > git commit -m commit1 [master 90b49f8] commit1 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
Then do it again to commit "commit2":
John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master) β > echo bbb >>a John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master *) β > git add a John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master +) β > git commit -m commit2 [master 14d798e] commit2 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
Then I reinstalled commit1 to remove:
John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master) β > git rebase -i HEAD^^ Auto-merging a CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in a error: could not apply 14d798e... commit2 When you have resolved this problem, run "git rebase --continue". If you prefer to skip this patch, run "git rebase --skip" instead. To check out the original branch and stop rebasing, run "git rebase --abort". Recorded preimage for 'a' Could not apply 14d798e... commit2
Commit2 cannot be applied because its context has been changed (commit1 is missing). Note the error: could not apply 14d798e... commit2 , which has a commit2 hash. Although in conflict, if I run git show , I get:
John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master *+|REBASE-i 1/1) β (1) > git show commit 298299e3fb4e75c50aaa346c9f57c3b8885726f7 (HEAD) Author: John Doe <john@doe> Date: Fri Jul 21 15:59:01 2017 +0100 initial diff --git a/ab/a new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e69de29 John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master *+|REBASE-i 1/1) β > git status interactive rebase in progress; onto 298299e Last command done (1 command done): pick 14d798e commit2 No commands remaining. You are currently rebasing branch 'master' on '298299e'. (fix conflicts and then run "git rebase --continue") (use "git rebase --skip" to skip this patch) (use "git rebase --abort" to check out the original branch) Unmerged paths: (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage) (use "git add <file>..." to mark resolution) both modified: a no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
And the content of a is:
John@debian-John: ~/tmp/test (master +|REBASE-i 1/1) β > cat a <<<<<<< HEAD ======= aaa bbb >>>>>>> 14d798e... commit2
If HEAD is the last commit applied (initial), and the second part is a commit that has not been applied.
Hope this helps.